FAQ | Pregnancy Questions and Answers

When will my baby sleep through the night?

If your child is content and healthy, there is no reason why he should not be sleeping through by 4 months. According to experts the term ‘sleeping through’ can mean anything from a
5 hour stretch to an 8 – 12 hour period.

How to get your baby to sleep through the night:

• Have a set bath and sleep routine: Bath your baby between 5 – 6pm, sleeping time being 6.30 – 7pm.
• Start taking away 1 feed from the age of 2 months, starting with the 9pm feed.
  Take the 12pm feed away at 3 months and the 3am feed at 4 months.
  This means that he will sleep from around 7pm – 5am! Absolute bliss!
• The secret is to ensure that he gets a solid feed at 3pm and 5pm as well as a top-up feed after bath time.
• Don’t be tempted to start your baby on solids before he’s ready just to help him sleep. Solids should be given anytime from 4 – 6 months, depending on the baby.
• Make sure that your baby is getting sufficient day time sleep and doesn’t go to bed too late at night. An overtired baby does not sleep well.
• When your baby is 4 – 5 months old and struggling to sleep through, you might need to do a bit of tough love. If he is crying at night, go to him without saying a word, just pat him gently and give him his dummy (if he is taking one). Then walk out and wait anything from 2 – 5 minutes before you go in again, assuming that he is crying. Be loving but firm, pat him and leave. Do this repeatedly until he falls asleep. It might feel like your heart is about to break, but you need to push through. It will take him  3 – 5 days to learn to sleep through. When doing sleep training, make sure that his nappy is not wet and that his tummy is full before putting him down to sleep. Sleep training should not be done when baby is unwell, teething or sick.